Railway signal torpedo



June 12, 1928. 1,673,739

F. DUTCHER mmnmm mm 1 M ums nnumlmnw June 12, 1928. 1,673,739

F. DUTCHER RAILWAY S IGNAL TORPEDO Filed July 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q java afar Patented June 12, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK DUTCHER, OF VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD RAIL- WAY FUSEE CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAILWAY SIGNAL IORPEDO.

Application filed July 15, 1925. Serial No. 43,752.

One object of my invention is to provide a signal torpedo to be applied to a rail of a railway track, which is simple and effective and which can be manufactured at a low cost.

A further object of the invention is to pri'ivide a reinforced'base for the torpedo.

In the accompanying drawingsf Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved track torpedo, illustrating one means of attaching the torpedo to the rail;

Fig. 2 is aperspective View of the torpedo, showing another form of attaching means;

l ig. is a detached perspective View of the attaching means shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. f is a perspective View of the explosive tablet;

Fig. 5 a plan view of the water proof wrapper of the tablet;

Fig. 6 a perspective view of the partly formed torpedo;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a reinforcing strip of paper;

liigs. 8 to 11, both inclusive, are perspectire views showing different steps in the process of making the torpedo; and

Fig. 12 is an enlarged sectional view of the torpedo illustrating the reinforced base.

The explosive tablet 1 is preferably made as shown in Fig. 4. The wrapper 2 for the tablet is a piece of comparatively thick paper, which waterproofed in any suitable manner. The wrapper is coated with a soft cement, as indicated by shade lines 3 Fig. The cement does not extend to the edges of the wrapper. The tablet 1 is placed at the center of the wrapper, which is folded over the tablet on the lines wm, as shown in Fig- 5. The central portion 3 of the wrapper encloses the tablet and the ends 14;, when folded, form part of the base, as shown in Figs. 1 and 1 Any suitable means may be used to attach the torpedo to the head of a rail. In the main figures of the drawing, a strip 5 of pliable metal, such as lead, is shown. The strip 5 is narrow and 18 of suflicient length to extend under the head of a rail after the torpedo is placed in position on the rail.

After the tablet 1 has been enclosed within the wrapper 2, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the under surface of the Wrapper is coated with a suit-able cement. Then the strip 5 is placed in position, after which the entire central surface of the wrapper, as well as the central portion of the strip 5, is coated with a hard cement. The reinforcing strip (5 of paper, or fabric, is then placed in position, as shown in Fig. 9. The inner surface of the ends at of thewrapper are coated with cement, as indicated at 0. These ends are then folded over the reinforcing strip 6, as shown in Fig. 10. Then the ends 6 of the reinforcing strip are coated with cement, as at u, and are folded over the ends 4 of the wrapper.

After the cement has set, the entire torpedo is dipped into a waterproofing bath and then the under side is preferably coated with sand.

In Fig. 2, a wire securing means is shown. This wire 7 is bent. as illustrated in Fig. 3. At the ends 8 of the wire are hooks, which, when brought together and connected, cause the central section 9 of the wire to arch, which tends to hold the attaching means parallel with the base of the torpedo, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. On releas ing the hooks, the attaching means can be turned to the position shown in full lines for engagement with the head of a rail.

This particular fastening means is set forth and claii'ned in a companion application which resulted in Patent No. 1,565,067, granted December 8, 1925.

In some instances. the reinforcing strip 6 can be made of fabric, or paper lined with a coarse mesh fabric to increase the strength of the base of the torpedo.

As the metallic fastening means of the torpedo is below the tablet and all of the enclosing material is either paper or fabric, there is no danger of injury, due to flying particles, when the torpedo is exploded.

I claim:

1. The combination in a railway signal torpedo, of an explosive tablet; a rectangular wrapper of waterproof paper enclosing the tablet and having a coating of waterproof cement surrounding the space occupied by the tablet; and means for attaching the torpedo to a rail, said means being secured in the folds of the wrapper.

2. The combination in a railway signal, of an explosive tablet; a paper wrapper having a coating of cement surroundin the space to be occupied by the tablet, said tablet being folded to form a central enclosing section and ends that are folded under the central section; a metallic retaining device secured in the folds of the wrapper; and a reinforcing strip secured to the base and wrapped around the folded ends of the wrapper.

3. A railway track torpedo having an explosive tablet; an enclosing paper wrapper folded over the tablet, the ends of the folded wrapper extending beyond the tablet; a reinforcing strip arranged at right angles to the folded wrapper and folded over the ends of the wrapper and cemented; and means for attaching the torpedo to a rail.

4. The process of manufacturing a railway track torpedo, said process consisting in cutting a rectangular wrapper of waterproof paper, coating the paper with cement, said coating surrounding the space occupied by the explosive tablet; placing an exploslve tablet on the paper; folding the coated wrapper over the tablet; locating the means for securing the torpedo to the rail upon the folded wrapper, placing a strip of reinforcing material at right angles upon the wrapper; folding the wrapper over the securing means and the strip of reinforcing material, cementing the folds, folding the ends of the reinforcing strip upon the folded ends of the wrapper and cementing the ends of the strip together and to the wraper. p FRANK DUTCHER. 

